ACTIVITY: After leaving our dental office today, we suggest you consider relaxing or at least limiting your activity as much as possible for the remainder of the day. Avoid strenuous activity or aerobic exercise for the next 3 days. DISCOMFORT: Some discomfort may be present when the anesthesia wears off. You have been given a prescription for an anti-inflammatory (NSAID) analgesic. Please take one tab every 8 hours for the first 3 days. This drug will greatly decrease the possibility of post-surgical swelling and pain and has been shown to accelerate healing. After the first 3 days, 2 Tylenol, or 2 Advil taken every 4-6 hours as needed, should keep you comfortable. Should intense discomfort occur at any time after the surgery, please take the narcotic medication (if one has been prescribed for you), as directed, or telephone D. Bradley Dean, DDS and he will phone in a narcotic prescription for you. You may take both the narcotic and NSAID together. Their analgesic effect will be synergistic. INFECTION: If you have been given an antibiotic please continue taking it, one tablet every 5-6 hours, or three time per day until all of the tablets have been taken. If you notice a few days after surgery, that pain or swelling are increasing or that you are experiencing an elevated temperature, please call D. Bradley Dean, DDS. SWELLING: It is normal for some swelling to occur after surgery, particularly in the lower jaw. To minimize swelling after surgery, apply an ice bag wrapped in a light tea towel or handkerchief to the outside of your face over the operated area. This should be left on your face for about 20 minutes, then removed for 20 minutes, or alternated from side-to-side, between operated areas, for 2-3 hours after surgery. The use of both ice and the NSAID analgesic as described above will reduce the amount and duration of facial swelling. BLEEDING: It is common to have slight bleeding for a few hours following surgery. If bleeding persists, apply a tea bag to the surgical site with firm but gentle pressure for 15-20 minutes. Let yourself rest for 15 minutes then repeat the application of the tea bag for a second time if you still have slight bleeding. If excessive bleeding continues, please call our office. Remember, most of the blood you may see in your mouth is actually a little bit of blood mixed with a lot of saliva. Blood is a very strong “dye” and a little bit of blood will color your saliva dramatically. ORAL HYGIENE: Brushing and oral hygiene procedures should be done as usual in all untreated areas. In exposed, operated areas limit your oral hygiene to brushing using a soft bristled toothbrush. In areas covered by periodontal dressing, you should brush only the chewing surfaces of teeth. Avoid dental flossing in operated areas during the first week following surgery. No undiluted mouthwash, salt water or peroxide rinses should be used during the first week following surgery. Also avoid the use of water irrigation devices such as Water-piks for 1 month following surgery. The exposed operated areas should be gently swabbed with a Q-tip (cotton tipped applicator) saturated with Peridex (Chlorhexidine) as a last oral hygiene procedure at bedtime and again in the morning, after eating and drinking. EATING AND DRINKING: Do not try to eat until all the anesthesia (numbness) has worn off. High protein foods and liquids are desirable for 3-5 days following surgery. Semi-solid foods may be eaten as long as this may be done comfortably. Eggs, custard, yogurt, pasta, steamed vegetables, casseroles, cooked cereals are some things that you might consider eating during the first few days following your surgery. Avoid spicy, salty, acidic, very hot or very cold foods or liquids. Also, avoid nuts, chips or other crunchy or fibrous foods which may become caught between your teeth. Please refrain from drinking alcoholic or carbonated beverages for 48 hours after surgery. No smoking or drinking through a straw for 48 hours after surgery. The following nutritional supplements have been found to aid in surgical healing. Taking the following dosages for at least 4-6 weeks following your surgery can enhance healing: Multi-vitamin with minerals: Take once a day. Calcium: Take 500mg twice daily. Vitamin E: Take 400mg once daily. Vitamin C: Take 1000mg once daily. These nutritional supplements are all over the counter (OTC) items and may be purchased at a drug store, health food store or the health food section of many grocery stores. USE OF REMOVABLE DENTAL APPLIANCES: If you normally wear a removable appliance which replaces missing teeth, and it rests on the operated area where dental implant(s) have been placed, do not use this appliance as any pressure on the surgical site could be detrimental to the healing of the dental implant(s) as well as cause discomfort. We want your treatment to provide as positive a healing experience as possible. If you are having any problems or have any questions, not covered in these guidelines, please free to call the office at any time. Dr. Bradley Dean can be reached after hours at 1-866-248-8350.
At ADDC we provide guidelines for Bone Graft Aftercare. Do NOT eat anything until the anesthesia wears off, as you might bite your lips, cheek, or tongue and cause damage. You will probably have some discomfort when the anesthesia wears off. Take your non-aspirin pain medication(s) as directed, whether prescribed or over-the-counter. An antibiotic has been prescribed to prevent or minimise infection. Please take the antibiotics as instructed until all tablets / pills are finished. Slight swelling of the operated area is not unusual. Even bruising and chapped lips may occur.
Keeping your head elevated above your heart will also help. One to two days after surgery, moist heat will help resolve minor swelling. Major swelling should be reported to the doctor at once. You may experience some tooth sensitivity after surgery, especially to cold. Sensitivity usually decreases within several weeks after surgery and can be minimized by keeping the area as free of plaque as possible. If the sensitivity is extreme, contact the doctor for recommendations or medications to relieve the discomfort. Minor bleeding, such as a pinkish tinge to your saliva, may occur during the first 48 hours following surgery. Avoid extremely hot foods for the rest of the day and do NOT rinse out your mouth, as these will often prolong the bleeding. If bleeding continues, apply light pressure to the area with a moistened gauze or moistened tea bag . Keep in place for 20-30 minutes without looking to see if bleeding has stopped. (NO PEEKING!) If bleeding increases or occurs past the initial 48 hours, please call our office as soon as possible to notify the doctor and receive further instructions. Avoid any strenuous physical activity for the next 2-3 days to prevent or minimize severe bleeding. Please follow a soft food diet, taking care to avoid the surgical area(s) when chewing. Chew on the opposite side and do NOT bite into food if the procedure was done in the front of the mouth. Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet. Foods such as soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese etc. are best. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid alcohol (even beer and wine) and smoking until after your post-operative appointment. Smoking is not advised during the 7-14 days following surgery. Maintain normal oral hygiene measures in the areas of your mouth not affected by the surgery. In areas where there is dressing, lightly brush only the biting surfaces of the teeth. After you have eaten or you have snacked, please use lukewarm salt water rinse 4-6X a day; 30 seconds of swooshing with each use. Vigorous rinsing should be avoided!!!Starting tomorrow,
If you are instructed to wear a clear stent or an upper denture that covers up the roof of the mouth, do NOT REMOVE it for 24 hours NO MATTER WHAT! It may pool with blood, but leave it in there and just swoosh with Chlorhexidine rinse or lukewarm salt water.
Try to relax and practice the best oral hygiene possible and your healing should progress well. Please note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. |